Tom Fox

I've got some good and bad news for federal leaders.

On a positive note, federal employees' views of their leaders have been on the upswing since 2003 based on an analysis of the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government rankings.

Regrettably, leadership remains one of the...

I recently had the opportunity to speak with a group of 80 emerging government leaders at the Association of Government Accountants' (AGA) National Leadership Conference. During our round-table conversation, these individuals discussed a phenomenon affecting them on a consistent basis -- upward delegation.

Upward delegation is what happens when,...

Events like Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill have brought to the fore the need for government leaders to work together, and share information and resources across agencies.

A new report, "Mission-Driven Mobility," by my organization, the Partnership for Public Service, and...

Jon Leibowitz is the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission. Prior to his tenure at the FTC, Leibowitz served as the democratic chief counsel and staff director for the U.S. Senate Antitrust Subcommittee where he focused on competition policy and telecommunications matters and also as chief counsel to...

The scandalous acts of a few government employees who wasted taxpayer dollars and abused the public trust are making headlines, but these cases are not representative of the nation's 2.1 million federal workers. In fact, they are far from the norm.

The excessive spending by General Service Administration (GSA)...

Michael Kane is the chief human capital officer (CHCO) at the Department of Energy, where he advises and assists the secretary of energy and other officials in selecting, developing, training and managing a skilled workforce. Kane was recognized by the Office of Personnel Management as the 2011 CHCO...

What advice can you give us on how to stop workplace bullying? Our manager crosses the line frequently and a group of us wind up feeling bullied. -- Federal employee

Unfortunately, some bullies don't grow up, they just grow older.

What does workplace bullying look like? Unlike...

As a federal leader, you no doubt have a lot on your plate, and it may be tempting to shrug off employee complaints about their jobs and organization. But the bottom line is that job satisfaction drives employee engagement and ultimately leads to better performance.

The Best...

Subra Suresh, an engineer and scientist, became director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) in September 2010. The independent federal agency provides about $7 billion a year for basic research conducted by America's colleges and universities in fields such as mathematics, computer science and the social sciences. Before...

The steady negative drumbeat regarding government appears to be taking its toll on student attitudes toward federal service.

Working with the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), my organization -- the Partnership for Public Service -- analyzed a survey of more than 35,000 students from nearly 600...

After years of being told to "do more with less" using the latest management fads - think Total Quality Management or Reinventing Government -- how do you convince a cynical workforce that change is really necessary? -- Federal Supervisor, U.S. Department of Education

To some public servants, the call to...

Davita Vance-Cooks became the acting public printer in January and now serves as the chief executive officer of the U.S. Government Printing Office, which produces passports, the federal budget, the Congressional Record, the Federal Register and numerous other congressional and agency publications. A business executive with more than...

Do men and women working for the federal government have different perceptions of their jobs and work environments?

This is one of the questions that my organization, the Partnership for Public Service, set out to answer in Gender Gaps and Racial/Ethnic Divides, a new Best Places to Work...

James H. Freis, Jr. was appointed in 2007 as director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), an agency that establishes and implements regulatory policies, and analyzes financial transactions, to help detect and deter money laundering, terrorist financing and other financial crimes. He previously served as deputy assistant...

This week we have a question about younger folks in the workplace:

How do I motivate millennials who believe they know everything? -- Federal supervisor

To many Generation X and baby boomer supervisors, the millennial generation can seem like a mystery to manage. It's a challenge to live up to...

How do you deal with passive aggressive leaders? -- Supervisor (GS-14), U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Fans of the NBC show Saturday Night Live might remember a recurring character from the late 1980s called The Church Lady. Appearing in a talk-show format, she would pass judgment on the sins of...

Rosie Rios is the Treasurer of the United States, holding direct oversight of the U.S. Mint, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and Fort Knox. She is a key liaison with the Federal Reserve and a senior adviser to the Treasury secretary on issues of community development. Prior to joining...

Harold Hongju Koh, the Department of State's legal adviser, is a leading expert on public and private international law, national security law and human rights. He was dean of Yale Law School from 2004 to 2009 and now is professor of international law on leave from the school....

Why is it that so many new managers (i.e., three years or less) tend to micromanage? -- Supervisor (GS-14), Department of Health and Human Services.

While it's unfair to paint all young supervisors as micromanagers, it's a fairly common trait among new federal leaders for at least three reasons.

NASA employee Matthew Ritsko was honored at the White House this week with the president's SAVE Award for his plan to avoid duplicative purchases of highly specialized tools required for space flight.

The best part of this story is that NASA's leaders didn't wait for the president's blessing...